Grand Gulf was accordingly given up as a base and the authorities at Washington were notified.  I knew well that Halleck’s caution would lead him to disapprove of this course; but it was the only one that gave any chance of success.  The time it would take to communicate with Washington and get a reply would be so great that I could not be interfered with until it was demonstrated whether my plan was practicable.  Even Sherman, who afterwards ignored bases of supplies other than what were afforded by the country while marching through four States of the Confederacy with an army more than twice as large as mine at this time, wrote me from Hankinson’s ferry, advising me of the impossibility of supplying our army over a single road.  He urged me to “stop all troops till your army is partially supplied with wagons, and then act as quick as possible; for this road will be jammed, as sure as life.”  To this I replied:  “I do not calculate upon the possibility of supplying the army with full rations from Grand Gulf.  I know it will be impossible without constructing additional roads.  What I do expect is to get up what rations of hard bread, coffee and salt we can, and make the country furnish the balance.”  We started from Bruinsburg with an average of about two days’ rations, and received no more from our own supplies for some days; abundance was found in the mean time.  A delay would give the enemy time to reinforce and fortify.

McClernand’s and McPherson’s commands were kept substantially as they were on the night of the 2d, awaiting supplies sufficient to give them three days’ rations in haversacks.  Beef, mutton, poultry and forage were found in abundance.  Quite a quantity of bacon and molasses was also secured from the country, but bread and coffee could not be obtained in quantity sufficient for all the men.  Every plantation, however, had a run of stone, propelled by mule power, to grind corn for the owners and their slaves.  All these were kept running while we were stopping, day and night, and when we were marching, during the night, at all plantations covered by the troops.  But the product was taken by the troops nearest by, so that the majority of the command was destined to go without bread until a new base was established on the Yazoo above Vicksburg.

While the troops were awaiting the arrival of rations I ordered reconnoissances made by McClernand and McPherson, with the view of leading the enemy to believe that we intended to cross the Big Black and attack the city at once.

On the 6th Sherman arrived at Grand Gulf and crossed his command that night and the next day.  Three days’ rations had been brought up from Grand Gulf for the advanced troops and were issued.  Orders were given for a forward movement the next day.  Sherman was directed to order up Blair, who had been left behind to guard the road from Milliken’s Bend to Hard Times with two brigades.

The quartermaster at Young’s Point was ordered to send two hundred wagons with Blair, and the commissary was to load them with hard bread, coffee, sugar, salt and one hundred thousand pounds of salt meat.